“A Stockholm rally by European and U.S. far-right groups seeking to create a global "counter-jihad" movement attracted fewer than 200 people on Saturday who were outnumbered by anti-racist protesters.

“Police said the rival demonstration was kept apart from the far-right rally and drew a few hundred people, a small number of whom were detained.

“The far-right rally was organised by groups including the English Defence League (EDL) which has been a driving force behind a handful of similar events, most recently a Danish rally in March.

“Support has grown in European countries for populist, nationalist and anti-immigration movements and in Sweden the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats won seats in parliament for the first time in 2010.”

Commenting on the meeting, Professor Matthew Goodwin an expert on the far-right and author of several reports described the meeting as signifying “the strengthening links between counter-jihad groups and anti-Muslim groups within Europe and the United States”

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